Carbonated soft drinks are just as bad for you as any beer /wine/etc.
I have only ever been addicted to one substance, and that was diet coke (coke zero). Coming off it took about 6 weeks, and had proper physical side effects. I can quite happily not drink alcohol whenever I feel like it.
Yep.
But my vice is the real Coca-Cola, addictive as hell.
Can't be without it for long times.
But I can easily drop alcohol for months.
Last real drink time was Juhannus (June 14th -15th 2013).
Had some alcohol new year, but not even enough to make driving illegal.